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Some often overlooked factors are important to consider though, such as weather, seasonal preferences, and even budgets. When my daughter and son-in-law set their date for a Charleston wedding, I was relieved to learn they had picked May. May is perfect weather in Charleston and the gardens are alive with flowers. Later in the summer, it becomes very hot and humid and hurricane threats abound in the warm Atlantic waters. My other daughter, too, picked May for a hometown wedding and used magnolias at her reception, fresh from local trees. I will never see another magnolia without remembering that wonderful day. I have recently come to love fall weddings. It is one of my favorite seasons, and except for the disruption it causes with football, it is a less demanding time on venues and vendors alike. My husband and I picked December for our wedding. We wanted to be married at Christmas. We were married at my parents' home, and December is a great time to take advantage of holiday decorations that are already in place.
With the date set and the venue secured, be sure to let the most important people know to save the date. Couples are so creative with this now. Kerri, of Bridal Gown Blog, just posted a great article outlining some resources for Save the Date cards. This is probably one thing that you can DIY and save money, show your personal style, and spend some of that pent up energy getting SOMETHING accomplished for your wedding!
Finally, I leave you with Erin and Jeff's Save the Date video that if you haven't seen, you must!
Get This - Survey Results - GlowDay.com
since they were little girls. Others are just beginning to explore the possibilities. Factors, such as the season, formality, and venue will need to be considered. For example, our church has deep red carpeting and dark red cushioned seating. My oldest daughter chose celadon green and white as her main colors, and the bridesmaids wore black dresses. (A very popular color for maids now.) The youngest daughter had planned on marrying in the fall and wanted orange and gold, with just a touch of black. Even though she changed her date to May, those colors stuck and were beautiful against the stained glass windows of the church where she was married. Personally, I picked a purple dress for that wedding using one of the colors that stood out to me in the stained glass. There are lots of free and easy ways to choose colors, so let this be a fun part of the 
. You might want to make an inspiration board. You can make one in just a manner of minutes using a site like 
. (FOB bought three, one for each daughter and one for me!) It had a budget itemization that worked well for us. We created a spreadsheet to use and as purchases and commitments to vendors were made, we added them in. Our daughters discovered that if they really felt one area, say the reception, was more important to them than another, such as photography, they could adjust the budget and choose their vendors accordingly. In other words, THEY controlled the spending instead of the other way around. How'd they do? Well, they both thanked us afterwards for giving them the wedding of their dreams, and it costs less than we had anticipated. Analysts predict spending on weddings in 2010 will average between $20,000 to $22,000. Does that surprise you? 
